Wednesday Walks: Watermelon Pond

Ms. GY and I loaded up Goggles and her 25 year old (who has ponied Goggles before and who is Ben's BFF) and headed to Watermelon Pond on Saturday morning. The parking lot was empty, which is normal, but confusing, given how gorgeous the day was. Goggles was mostly good to tack up, some dancing around, but overall brain was engaged. Then we set out. We did about an hour walk and he was the best boy. 

And lookie! Dapples!!

He pretty quickly took the lead with his long legs and power walking

He was the most secure when we were in a bit of woods actually 

He got a bit nervous about a fallen log by the trail and had to give up the lead

But then he TWICE did a nasty head snake out to bite Ms. GY's horse. The second time I whacked him pretty firmly with the crop and yelled at him and made him take the lead again. Up front he was too focused on his surroundings for shenanigans, but behind her horse he felt comfortable enough to screw around. Rude.

There are a bunch of baby long leaf pines to the left. They planted 11,000 recently in Goethe. They take forever to mature, but it's cool that eventually we'll have some of the longleaf forests that used to cover most of northern Florida

Someone was shooting on a nearby property and he spooked a bit the first time and had to walk behind his "friend" again, but the second go round he barely flicked an ear in that direction, smart boy.

Shooting was happening directly to our left. The sandy tracks here mean it isn't great footing unless it has rained recently. But it rained Tuesday and Wednesday, so it was just about perfect. 

Pretty field of sorghum. Ms. GY and I carefully passed my phone back and forth to snap this picture and managed to keep Goggles from ingesting her guy. 

Beautiful live oaks and Spanish moss

Home stretch! We passed another couple of fallen logs that he looked at. I made him step over the last one and he did it with no drama, good lad. 

Back home, best boy!!! He was superb. I used the elevator bit and running that he's been jumping in, but didn't need either. It was the perfect beautiful morning for a lovely walk, the best way to introduce trail riding, I think.